by Natalie Gourley

Created on: April 06, 2007   Last Updated: May 09, 2007

I was somewhat skeptical when I settled down in my seat to watch Pirates for the first time. It had been out on DVD for sometime, but nobody in our household saw fit to purchase it. I hadn't heard much about it, except that it was another 'major Disney blockbuster' and Lord knows how many of them there have been. So I sat down with the relevant food and drink and got ready for some 'Swashbuckling Drama' and such.

And would you believe it, that is exactly what I got. From start to finish the movie had me gripped. It had all the charm and elegance of the period it was portraying, but was sprinkled with enough humor and sheer Disney quality not to be dull.
Having been on the ride at both Disney Land and Disney World, I was surprised at how much character they had kept from the amusement parks, seeing as the rides were somewhat dated. But somehow the essence was captured perfectly, with breathtaking sets, a music score to win the heart of any pirate lover and characters which came into their own right almost instantly.
The jewel in the crown was obviously Johnny Depp's performance as (altogether now) -Captain- Jack Sparrow. Somewhat miraculously Depp managed to turn this scoundrel into one of the best loved characters that audiences ever did witness, with his roguish humor and his erratic dress sense making him the perfect pirate and indeed the perfect lead for the movies.
Also well cast were the fiesty Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and William Turner (Orlando Bloom), who both took center stage when need be, but always seemed to be overshadowed by the Captain himself.

The franchise of Pirates then took a backseat for 2 years, a clever move it was to be seen when new hype arose about not just a sequel, but a third movie following that.
The second movie, though containing all of the charm of the first, didn't quite cut it in many fans eyes, though it made a mint at the box office and won Depp his first Oscar nomination. The movie took a darker turn, with life after death taking up a good majority of the storyline but there were still laugh out loud moments, and yet again Jack Sparrows entrance to the movie was the height of spontaneity- though of course completely choreographed. What failed to impress me was the length of the movie, and how when everybody thought 'Oh, well this must be the end' there was another 20 minutes of footage yet to be screened. The story was fast paced and I had to see the film at least 3 times before I fully understood what was going on. Standing alone, Pirates 2 had the potential to be another Disney classic- but with the words 'To Be Continued' flashed on-screen across cinemas everywhere, it appears that we will have to wait for the 3rd movie to see if the story takes all the twists and turns we are expecting, or if it is straight-laced and even darker.
Nevertheless, Pirates 1 & 2 will be remembered as one of the most fun filled action packed franchises in the history of movie making. And what with the 3rd film due out next month, there's plenty more high-seas action for fans to get their teeth into.

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